‘Trees can get fungal infections?’
‘They sure can. The needles turn brown and die off. You get that, you risk losing your whole crop if you can’t get it under control. That’s your main source of income gone for a year.’
‘Main source?’
‘He has a small shop and café onsite too. The shop sells decorations, trinkets and baubles et cetera. It’s only open seasonally from the end of November until Christmas Eve. I don’t know how profitable it is, but I guess most people who go to buy a tree probably end up buying something, even if it’s just a cup of hot cocoa.’
‘Dammit,’ I sighed. ‘You’re really doing a good job of crushing my dreams here. I guess owning a Christmas tree farm might not be as adorable as it sounds.’
‘Sorry. I’m just a realist. I’m sure it has its good moments too.’
The road had narrowed, the corners closer together and sharper. The pines overhead leaned in towards each other, their shadows darkening the road. With their light dusting of snow, it felt like I was smack bang in the middle of a winter wonderland.
‘You’re not taking me to some old cabin in the middle of nowhere, like in some horror movie, are you?’ I asked.
‘Nope.’
‘Not that I have anything against cabins. I’ve seen some amazing ones on Instagram. There’s this gorgeous page that posts photos of cabins and treehouses and idyllic tiny homes allover the world.’ I sighed wistfully. ‘I had to unfollow it in the end because it just made me always long to be somewhere else.’
He shot me a sideways glance. ‘I think we all feel like that at times, don’t we? With or without the help of social media.’
‘Sure, I guess that’s why I’m here,’ I admitted. ‘The appeal of starting somewhere afresh. What about you? Have you ever left Pine Harbor?’
‘Briefly, for university. Wasn’t for me. And a few trips abroad.’
I waited to see if he would be more forthcoming, but the subject appeared to be closed.
‘We’re here,’ he said, pulling the truck over to the side of the road into a small rest area. As with most of the journey until now, there was nothing to see apart from trees and snow.
‘Herewhere, exactly?’ I asked, craning my head to look out all the truck’s windows in case I’d missed something.
He grinned at me as he pulled the keys out of the ignition and opened his door. ‘You’ll see.’
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the seat. ‘I’m not getting out until you tell me why we’re here.’
He shrugged. ‘OK. Have it your way. I’ll see you back here in a couple of hours. Try not to freeze to death.’ Then he tossed me the keys and closed his door, heading towards the back of the truck.
‘Wait,’ I squealed, opening my door and jumping out, immediately sinking up to my ankles in the snow.
‘I thought you weren’t coming?’
‘I didn’t think you were going to call my bluff,’ I retorted, attempting to pull myself out of the snow by hanging on to the side of the truck.
He lifted the cover off the truck bed. ‘You alright there?’
‘I’m fine.’
‘Great. Fancy a hike?’
‘A hike?’
‘Yeah. You know, a walk in nature.’
‘I know what a hike is, Jonah, but have you not noticed the snow everywhere? I don’t think we’ll be able to make it very far.’
‘That…’ he said, lifting something out of the truck bed with a flourish ‘…is what these are for.’
‘Snowshoes.’
